


Favorite Spots.

by ThoughtLin



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Again, F/F, afraid to be left alone, disrupting their peace of mind, insecure feelings, instigator, relaxing travel, teenage emotional drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:55:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27613784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThoughtLin/pseuds/ThoughtLin
Summary: Kya wants to take Lin traveling to the places she visited in her younger years.  But she forgot that sometimes the past can come back to haunt you.  And Lin is having a hard time processing it.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Kya (Avatar), Lin Beifong/Kya II
Comments: 13
Kudos: 73
Collections: KyaLin Week 2020





	1. Travel.

**Author's Note:**

> Edited: December 13, 2020
> 
> I originally wrote a shorter version for KyalinWeek 2020. (Travel prompt)
> 
> I became so infatuated with this idea that I rewrote it and hope to expand it to a few more chapters. Hope you enjoy and stay tuned. :)

“Let’s go away for a while.“ With an uneventful weekend ahead, Kya looked to Lin. Establishing small roots in Republic City had not completely grounded Kya’s adventurous spirit. And she was pining for a break from the smell of satomobiles. 

The spontaneous idea catches Lin off guard and her thoughts go straight to the reports piling up on her desk as they speak. _How long could she leave Republic City without it turning to chaos?_ Milling over the proposal for a few minutes, she tries to hide her concern. “How long is a while?” 

“A few days maybe. And we can stay close by if you’re worried the city can’t function without you.” Kya smiles and sarcastically pats Lin on the shoulder, recognizing Lin's apprehension. 

Lin snorts at her remark, she should’ve known Kya would understand. “If this place falls to pieces, it’s on your head.” Lin motions to the city outside, and then swings her finger into Kya’s smiling face.

“I can live with that.” Kya says. Taking that as Lin’s okay, she continues with her plans out loud. “We can go to this forest that has the biggest tree I've ever seen. And there's this one dive that steams their meat in seaweed for days and you just have to try it!” Kya’s excitement is growing as her mind wanders back to her years of traveling. 

“Sounds like more than a few days.” 

“Well, how long was your last vacation?”

Lin couldn't remember the last time she took a vacation that wasn’t due to an injury or pressure from Saikahn to slow down. 

Kya waited too long for Lin to come up with her answer. “Seriously? Okay, we should've been gone yesterday. I'll start packing.” Kya gets up and starts walking away mid sentence. She turns around and shuffles back to Lin, and plants a little kiss on her forehead. “We’re going to have so much fun!”

* * *

Lin and Kya start their walk back from a river that was so clear you could see the reflection of the sky. The surrounding trees created a canopy perfect for their intimate kisses and soft words. While flowers in different phases of growth were the only ones privy to their quiet exchange. 

The traveling had been quite relaxing for Lin and she eases her contempt for public affection and laces her fingers in Kya’s. The two are drifting through the local market exploring the oddities in each stall when they hear someone call out.

“Kya?” 

Turning to see who it is, Kya recognizes her old flame from her nomadic. She’s reminded of the juvenile moments when both girls used their emotions as their strongest motivators. Long before time had taught Kya control. Caught in a moment of weakness, she had mistaken Aimi’s domineering energy for excitement, and learned some poignant lessons through their time together.

“Aimi?”

“I knew it was you,” Aimi said, catching up to them. 

Kya notices Aimi not so subtly dismissing Lin as she brings her in for an awkward hug. Feeling Aimi going on the offensive, she recognizes her trademark play. Aimi would find a person to intimidate, and scare off their girlfriend so that she could weasel in and take their place. And when she got her victory, she would leave and quest for a new challenge. It was an unfriendly battle Kya assumed Aimi had outgrown.

“Wow, how long has it been?” Kya shifts back, not letting go of Lin’s hand.

“Too long.” Aimi whispers coyly into Kya’s ear as she releases from their hug, letting her fingers linger on Kya’s unoccupied arm. Kya gently shrugs her off but notices Aimi has turned her attention to Lin. With a taunting glance, Aimi pretentiously gives Lin a once over look, trying to gauge her permanence. 

“Seems like not much has changed.” Kya finds her patience as she dissuades Aimi’s intentions and gestures to Lin. “This is my _girlfriend_ Lin. Lin this is Aimi.” Kya enunciates the word as a warning for Aimi to cut the crap.

Lin sneers at Aimi, not wanting to waste anymore time acknowledging her presence. She is becoming increasingly aware of the woman's intentions to score Kya, and a flash of guilt rises at the idea of Kya succumbing to them. 

“Nice to meet you.” Aimi volleys her fake charm towards Lins' knit brows. Kya’s warning goes unnoticed as Aimi locks eyes with her opponent.

Kya can sense Lin’s anger rising as Aimi lands all her hits. Trying to prevent the confrontation from going any further, she tries to change the subject for a quick exit. “We were just on our way to visit some new sites.” 

Continuing her charge, Aimi nods in the direction the women just came from, “Maybe you can take her to that place we found on a whim. You remember, our _lucky spot_ by the river?” adding a brave wink at Kya. Her heart slips as she feels Lin’s grasp waver. She knows Lin has deduced exactly what river Aimi is referring to. Catching the slight change, a triumphant smile taints Aimi’s face.

Kya has no time to react to the innuendo, before Lin takes a challenging step towards Aimi. She has been patiently waiting for the right moment to intervene, and Kya clenches Lin’s hand, imploring her not to engage. Patience worn and daring the woman to overlook her again, she speaks with clear authority saved for the most dangerous felons. “Don’t you worry about where we’re going. We’re not the ones lost and looking for attention.”

Kya wraps her arm around Lin's shoulder renouncing Aimi and her twisted games; and reassuring Lin that there are no lingering feelings. “Lin’s right, and I think it’s time you go.”

Looking at Lin with a devilish smile, Aimi admits defeat. But not without a final blow. 

“Still good seeing you, _Kitty_.” Aimi purrs the obsolete nickname. 

* * *

Back in their rented room, Lin turns to Kya and asks her in a quiet calm that shakes the walls. “Are you taking me to all your old _hook-up_ spots?” Lin spits out the words. Not fully understanding why the encounter was allowing her control to slip through her fingers like sand. It wasn’t Kya’s fault, and Lin had no reason to blame her for what happened. 

Kya gives Lin a loving smile, hoping it will be contagious enough to put all this behind them. Up until Aimi came along, Kya was elated to show Lin the places that once took her breath away. Hoping she could somehow translate to Lin that same feeling she felt when she was with her. 

“No, I’m taking you to the places that mean a lot to me.”

“Because you were there with someone else.” Lin states her question as a fact. Realizing now her rising anger is a culmination of fear that Kya could leave. _Just like everyone else._

“No, bad choice of words. They’re these magnificent parts of the world, my world, that I want to share with you.” Kya urges, trying to talk Lin off the ledge of bad thoughts she can see swimming in her head. She can feel Lin pushing her away, and she wants to respect her and give her the space she needs. But she can’t ignore the feeling of worry, whether Lin will actually come back to her. Lin wasn’t the only one afraid of being forgotten. 

Lin is quiet in her storm of thoughts. Irrationally creating scenarios of being discarded. _This can’t happen. Not again._

“Lin.” Kya reaches out for Lin’s hands, gently circling them with her thumbs hoping to relieve some of her anxiety. “I want to be with you. Make new memories with you. _I need you to understand that._ ” Kya pleads, wanting desperately to reassure Lin that she would always choose her. 

“I don’t want your hand-me-down memories.” Lin snarls, trying to hide the hitch in her voice. She recovers, and squeezes Kya’s hands before finishing, ”I’m not just another girl you can traipse around with. On a _whim._ ” 

“My Love. You are _never_ a whim.” Kya said, trying to fight the tide that was pulling them under. 

Overcome with fear and not wanting to regret any more than she’s already said, Lin offers a heartbroken remark. “I think I’m done.” As she let go of Kya’s hands. Kya concludes that their vacation is done, but the open ended statement echoes with unimaginable interpretation.

Kya watches Lin walk away and stares at her empty hands before placing them in her pocket. She reaches again for the object that’s been secretly traveling with them the past few days. The object that was just waiting for the perfect moment to be revealed. Kya pulls it out and feels the tears falling on the betrothal necklace she made for Lin months ago.


	2. Disappear.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin’s upset and Kya is trying to deal with her own feelings as Lin pushes away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended to write this from Lin’s perspective, because well, Lin! <3! But I wanted to give Kya some much needed attention and story depth too. So here's me trying to bring Kya into the spotlight.
> 
> Inspired by:
> 
> Disappear - Dear Evan Hansen

The early morning train-ride home was quiet. Lin left to get some tea for Kya, and rigidly handed it to her. "Here." And that was the only exchange between them. 

Kya woke as the train came to a slow halt. She picked her head off Lin’s shoulder, and noticed her hand in Lin’s. Not remembering when she dozed off, she must’ve subconsciously grabbed onto Lin’s hand out of habit. She was glad Lin hadn’t woken her. 

"Didn't mean to fall asleep on you." 

Lin slowly stood to straighten out her clothes, and walked towards the exit without a word. 

Lin's apartment looked the same as when they left, but walking in behind her left Kya with an unwelcome feeling. She jumped when Lin dropped the bags on the floor, and watched her take in a deep breath. 

Now that they were alone, Kya took this opportunity to speak freely. Hoping the earlier closeness was a sign, she reached out for an embrace. "I know you're upset, but can we talk about this?"

“Why would you take me there?” Lin asked, taking a step back. Not waiting for an answer, she sternly held a hand out between them before Kya could initiate any physical contact. “I just need a minute.” Still upset at the thought of being duped into traveling with Kya to her _hook-up spots_ , Lin walked past her and out the door. Bending it closed with just enough force to discourage Kya from coming after her. 

Kya ran to the window and watched Lin leave down the street. Thinking if she stared long enough, Lin would turn around and come back to her. But the farther she walked away the harder it became to hope, until finally Lin turned a corner and left Kya’s sight. 

Completely alone in the afternoon sun, Kya went to the living room as the silence pointed out her sadness. She suddenly became hypersensitive to all her knick-knacks that adorned the shelves and walls of Lin’s apartment. Mentally noting everything the earthbender let her bring in, sometimes unannounced. Thinking the worst and imagining having to pack it all up, brought a slow stream of tears to Kya’s face. 

She knew why Lin was upset. _It’s not my fault Aimi was there, or that she was still acting like a twatty teenager._ Kya thought, trying to reassure herself that Lin would come to the same conclusion.

When she and Aimi stumbled on that secluded river, she felt an instant connection. Not because of Aimi, her being there was purely circumstantial. But because no one knew it was there, or bothered to look for it, and it was so beautiful in it’s forgottenness. Left untouched and overlooked by the surrounding grander villages, it was kept in the most pristine condition. Being there made Kya realize that if this little river thrived on being lost, then maybe she could too. 

But in her current moment of solitude, her fears of belonging to anyone only to be abandoned, came creeping back. The excitement when people learned she was next of kin to the only Master Airbender was always followed by silent disappointment for being a waterbender instead. _That feeling never gets old._ Even the expectation that she could never repopulate the air nation was too disheartening a topic to bring up to her parents. She didn’t want them to feel bad for the labels that were inadvertently cast on to her. Instead she traveled far away, leaving those feelings behind.

Kya felt her qi spiraling into a sad state; she needed to clear her mind. She sat on her favorite pillow and focused on the weight of her body, relaxing into her well-known mind set. She continued to concentrate on breathing out her negative thoughts. But with every inhale, another germ of nostalgia entered her body. The memory of her father and Tenzin going on their airbenders-only trips brought on a second stream of tears. She felt the hole in her heart remembering the girls in school who ignored her because she was different. Kya couldn’t fight the familiar feeling of fading away. All her life she seemed to be that barely-in-the-background kind of girl. 

But not with Lin. Lin always made her feel unforgettable. And she never ran away from anything, it was one of the reasons why Kya felt so safe with her. But the vision of Lin leaving, broke Kya out of her lotus position. She started crying and her hands went instinctively to her face to try to stop the tears from drowning her.

_It’s not my fault._

* * *

Lin wasn’t sure where she was going, but she had to get out of there. She was losing control of her emotions and didn’t want to risk taking it out on Kya. Lin knew the streets like the back of her hand, and let her feet take her to a place she hadn’t been to in a long time. The park, not far from the station, was a familiar meeting place for Lin and Tenzin. Before they started dating, the two friends would have a quick lunch and regale each other with stories from their day. The comfort of their surroundings gave Lin a chance to let her guard down and share a laugh or two. It was a serene getaway from the stresses of their lives, and Lin always felt a calm fall over her when she was there. 

She hadn’t been back since Tenzin broke it off, and the irony that she ended up here of all places did not escape her. It was still an incredible place and she still felt a small warmth at the fond memories. Lin had spent so much time trying to forget about anything to do with Tenzin, she negated the possibility that a place could still bring her joy on it’s own. 

_I should bring Kya here._ The thought surprised her. But she smiled, imagining an image of Kya waving her down, inviting her to sit on a bench she reserved for them. She’d love to show Kya this part of her world she once held so dear to her. 

_Oh._

The memory of Kya’s words came back to her, and empathy quickly extinguished her rage. And a sudden pang of guilt washed over her. 

_Crap._

* * *

The sun was setting when Kya heard the door open, and rushed to see Lin finally back. A mix of relief and anger boiled over. Using that momentum she spoke before Lin could say anything.

“You don’t get to leave like that. I get that you’re upset, but you don’t get to make me feel like I’m going to lose you over something I can’t control.” Anger filled her first few words, but as her last ones rang out the dam broke in Kya. She always held on to her fears to spare the hurt she knew it would cause others. But now every stifled feeling of abandonment cried out as she crumbled to her knees. 

Lin raced over to Kya, pushing her shoulders up to look into her tear stained face. 

“I can’t be your disappointment too.” Kya cried into Lin’s chest.

“Look at me.” Lin pulled away and held Kya’s face in her hands. “You will never disappoint me. Do you understand? I shouldn’t have left.” 

Lin gently wiped away Kya’s tears with her thumb. Still holding her sobbing girlfriend, Lin realized she wasn’t the only jaded one in the room.

“No. You shouldn't have.”

“I was jealous. And I panicked.” Lin confessed. 

“You can’t be the only one scared of being alone.” 

“I know.”

“I’m scared too.”

“I know.” 

“And then you left me alone.” another wave of tears spilled down Kya’s face.

“I know.”

“Is that all you can say! _I know!_ Did you know I thought you were leaving me!” Kya slightly irritated at Lin's repeated words. 

“What? That’s crazy.”

“Well it's what I felt, and it's not like you left me with much to go off of.”

“I know.” Lin caught herself saying the words again and changed her verbiage. “I'm so sorry for hurting you. You deserve better.” 

Kya didn’t say anything. Leaving Lin to sit in silence holding on to Kya until her sobs ran their course.

“I do, don’t I.” Kya said, still sniffling, but managed a chuckle.

Kya wasn’t one to hold grudges, and yet the speed in which she recovered left Lin a little envious. The waterbender looked to her girlfriend with a playful smile. “I’m sorry-” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Lin interrupted

“-that you felt jealous. And that you felt threatened. I don’t want you to ever feel vulnerable. Like a little pandamouse. My little Pandamouse.” Kya tentatively decided to try out a new nickname, looking at Lin with a smile. 

“Well I’m glad you’re feeling better. My little tearbender.” Lin returned the retort. A gentle sign that things were okay. 

Kya’s laugh brightened the room, and Lin felt such joy at being the one responsible for it. 

“Why don't we wash off that face of yours before it gets puffy and gross.” Lin smiled, picked up Kya in her arms, and carried her to the bathroom.

“You’re puffy and gross.” Kya giggled. 

Lin stopped for a second and let the jesting fall from her face, as she looked down to Kya. 

“I love you. And I'm not going anywhere.”

“I know. I love you too.” Kya smiled and nestled her head into Lin’s embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had a harder time trying to convey Kya then I thought I would, and I'm not completely content with how it turned out. So any feedback or comments are much appreciated! Thank you! :)


End file.
